Badger Clan
The Badger Clan was a minor clan once charged with the defense of the Empire's northern border. Badger Lands The lands of the Badger Clan were sealed off from the rest of the Empire, accessible only from the Path of Woe. The Atlas of Rokugan, p. 195 They were located North of Mizu-umi Ryo along the northern road called Komichi no Kanashimi. It was little more than a collection of foothills and small mountains. Shiro Ichiro was its ancestral castle. Secrets of the Mantis, p. 70 To the south and west laid the plains of the Unicorn Clan. To the east were the Dragon Mountains, while the wastes of the Burning Sands laid to the north. These lands were an isolated wedge of valleys, passes, and scrub grass, with little room for farmland. Fealty and Freedom, p. 14-15 The soil was not ideal for rice, so they grew millet, buckwheat, soybeans, and vegetables. They also used fungus from their caves to supplement their diet. Secrets of the Empire, p. 19 Provinces * Domogu province Early History Birth of the Badger Clan History said that when Hantei the first watched the Ki-Rin Clan depart through the uninhabited northern mountains he became concerned that a foreign invader could enter unnoticed into his young Empire. While he died shortly afterwards, his son and successor Hantei Genji, shared this worry, so he made sure that the region remained populated by those followers of Shinjo that had remained. With time, however, the followers were pushed out of those lands by the Lion and so they were relocated elsewhere as the Fox Clan. Knowing that the Lion didn't know the lay of the land, Genji worried again and decided to hold a tournament to create a new minor clan to guard this part of the border. Tournament of the Most Favored, p. 4 Hantei Genji believed that it would need to be a strong clan so the challenge would be a contest of strength. The duel came down to a wrestling match between the top two contenders for the prize, Hida Domogu of the Crab Clan and Shinjo Mako of the Ki-Rin. Domogu won and Mako became his first retainer. Genji awarded Domogu the Ichiro name and made him the first daimyo of the Badger Clan, independent of the Crab, tasking him with guarding the northern passes of the Empire. Way of the Minor Clans, p. 60 And so, in 110 IC, the Badger Clan was born. Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Game, Third Edition, p. 10 A discovery by Asahina Hira in the middle of the twelfth century suggested that the true reason why the Badger was charged with the protection of these lands was because it contained holy ground, the Ryoshun's Grave. The Touch of the Void Ichiro family Over the next five years Domogu built the first fortress of the Badger, and many villages centered in a self-sufficient fortress. In 115 the defensive plan settled by Domogu was approved and he was granted the family name Ichiro. Way of the Minor Clans, pp. 60-61 Shiro Ichiro had been built directly on top of Ryoshun's grave, and the sadness emanating from the tomb mingled with the Badger’s Crab-like stoicism. The Badger became a uniformly quiet and reclusive lot. Fealty and Freedom, p. 12 The First Years Also, they soon made contact with the other Minor Clans, the Fox and the Mantis, to pool resources. One of their joint initiatives was to make a regular event of the tournament that gave birth to the Badger, that would eventually be known as the Tournament of the Emperor's Favored. Ten Centuries of Quiet The Badger discovered iron in the mountains and they found places to grow rice and vegetables, to perform their duties with no support of the Empire. Through the centuries, the Badger continued improving their fortresses. Within two centuries the Empire had all but forgotten they existed, and their only contact was those Badger who took their annual taxes to the Imperial capital. They also developed a particular dislike of the Empire's reliance on magic. Secrets of the Empire, pp. 16-17 Invaded by Revolutionaries During the Great Famine the People's Legion, an army of revolutionaries and peasants, seized the Badger lands. They were released by the Imperial Legions Imperial Histories, p. 112 after the revolters were destroyed in 669. Imperial Histories, p. 106 Recent History Champion's Assassination In 1118, the Clan Champion Ichiro Akitomo was murdered while visiting the lands of the Crane Clan. The dishonor of the assassination was of great embarrassment to the Crane, and there are rumors that it was a plot to increase tensions between the Crane and the Lion Clan. The killer was never caught. Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Game, Third Edition, p. 17 Near Destruction In 1126, the Emerald Magistrate Kuni Osuki traveled to Badger lands to deliver an edict only to find the strongholds of the Badger destroyed. A monstrous oni, Hideo no Oni, had been summoned by Ichiro Koturi and killed virtually every living being within the northern mountains. The oni was eventually destroyed, but the Badger were all but extinct. Because of the Emperor's failing health at the time, the Badger's status as a minor clan was never formally revoked. Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Game, Third Edition, p. 19 Way of the Shadowlands, pp. 78-80 Rebuilding the Clan As a result, the Badger were a clan with no home. The primary objective of the Badger was to rebuild their clan. They constantly sought opportunities to increase the wealth and holdings of the Ichiro, usually as mercenaries, so that their castle could be rebuilt. Rokugan, pp. 21-22 Periodic attacks from the spawn of Hideo no Oni made things even more difficult. Secrets of the Empire, p. 18 Ichiro Join Toturi In 1128 a group of Badger samurai arrived in the City of the Rich Frog and joined the Toturi's Army. The nigh-defunct Ichiro family felt they would be best suited throwing their lot in with Toturi the Black. Time of the Void, p. 99 Ichiro founded the Fallen Mountain Dojo within the city in an attempt to make koku for further reconstruction of his clan. Way of the Samurai, p. 75 Mantis Support After the end of the War Against Shadow the Ichiro refused the offer of fealty as a family of the Mantis, but it was agreed the Mantis would build and fund an informal dojo, known as the Badger's Home Dojo, in the lands of the Tsuruchi family, taught by Yoritomo and Tsuruchi sensei. The Mantis believed that the Badger would not see another generation. They viewed themselves as the elder brothers of the Badger and expected the students of Badger's Home Dojo were the bridge the Ichiro would need when they finally realize the truth. Secrets of the Mantis, p. 71 Mantis Civil War After the death of Mantis Clan Champion, Yoritomo Aramasu, and the ascension of Yoritomo Kitao, the Badger Clan were requested by Yoritomo Kamoto to support the Mantis faction that worked against Kitao. In return the Badger would gain the support and wealth of the Mantis. A New Storm Dawns (Season of the Mantis) War of the Rich Frog The Badger feared they could lose their only dojo during the War of the Rich Frog in 1165. The Badger explicitly refused to ally with any of the three warring factions, believing that their involvement would only provoke direct attacks. Located just inside the Lion side of the Lion-Unicorn border, they protected the boroughs around their dojo, forcibly apprehending and ejecting any combatants who entered the area. This provoked the ire of the three sides, particularly the Kaeru family, who saw the Badger's actions as a questioning of Kaeru authority. Way of the Thief, p. 80 Imperial Scrutiny In 1166 the Badger turned to the Crab Clan aid. They feared that Toturi III could revoke their Minor Clan status if they could no longer protect their borders from outsiders. Duty, Like a Mountain, by Rich Wulf They did not have the resources to repair their castles, the resources to construct an embassy in the Imperial City, Toshi Ranbo, Hideo no Oni ravaged much of their fertile lands, and collapsed their mines. Their kinsmen were working as mercenaries and caravan guards and many in the Empire assumed that they were ronin. True Duty In a visit to Badger lands the Keeper of Void Asahina Hira re-discovered the true duty given to the Badger. Forgotten to time and isolation was their guardianship over the tomb of Ryoshun. When the Clans learned of this, they rushed to help the Badger to rebuild so they would be able to continue on their sacred task. The War of Dark Fire The Badger were assaulted by the Yobanjin forces under control of Tamori Chosai early in the War of Dark Fire. All but one of the Badger's fortresses was overrun and destroyed. Ichiro Kihongo was able to effect an evacuation with the aid of Doji Koin. The War of Dark Fire, Part 3 Rebuidling again after the Destroyer War After the Destroyer War the Badger Clan began adopting ronin into the clan if they could pass a test of strength, and forged closer ties with the Crab and Dragon in order to seek help in reconstructing their fortresses. They also sent a small contingent to the Colonies in the former Ivory Kingdoms. Details Mon and Motto The mon depicted a badger and the clan colors were pale gray with stripes of white and black. Way of the Minor Clans, p. 3 Samurai The Badger rarely carried their katana, relying on the no-dachi, ono, masakari, or the dai-tsuchi as their weapon of choice. They used nage-yari or thrown rocks when fighting their foes from a distance. See Samurai of the Badger Clan for a listing of notable members of the clan, both current and historic. Customs Badger were self-reliant and individualistic people, who did not ask for help and tended to be extremely stubborn. They placed a lot of value on the individual and his personal achievements. The Badger were very competitive and could make contests out of almost anything, usually based upon strength. They also had a love of gambling, making wagers on contests. The Great Games, a yearly tournament, was hosted at Shiro Ichiro, and it provided an opportunity to look for marriage prospects for their children. Marriages used to happen between people from different fortresses, and the Badger had groups of dedicated matchmakers. Children began to work from early age and competed amongst themselves in contests of strength. The Badger were a isolated folk, who evolved customs and traditions, one of the most old-fashioned clans in the Empire. Secrets of the Empire, pp. 23-25 Politics Badger Clan Champion Vassal Families The Badger Clan only had one major family, the Ichiro, and two vassal families which managed to survive the Oni no Hideo attack. Emerald Empire, pp. 97-98 * The first one, the Fureheshu family, was a small familiy of expert wrestlers who trained with the Hida sumai in crab lands. Emerald Empire, p. 97 * The second, the Tashimi family, was a very small family of instructors who kept the Ichiro Bushi School alive so that there was always a sensei for the next generation of Ichiro. Emerald Empire, p. 98 Schools & Paths Schools The following were the basic Schools within the Badger Clan: * Ichiro Bushi Paths The following were the Paths within the Badger Clan. * Badger Mercenary * Badger Sumai * Ichiro Pass Warden See also * Ichiro family/Meta Category:Badger Clan Champion Badger Category:Badger Clan Families